Ibiamina Igbiri, the 78-year-old mother of Deborah Erema—who is among the 15 individuals imprisoned since 2019 for allegedly stealing Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s jewelry—spoke with CHUKWUDI AKASIKE and TEMITOPO ADETUNJI regarding the suffering she has endured because of her daughter’s incarceration since 2019.
How
old are you?
My name is Ibiamina Igbiri. I am 78 years of age.
Where are you from?
I hail from Okirika in Rivers State.
What is your connection to Deborah Erema, who is presently incarcerated?
She is my daughter.
Do you recall when she was taken into custody and sent to jail?
My daughter got arrested in 2019.
What had you been informed was her crime?
It was claimed that she was one of those who took possession of Mrs Patience Jonathan’s belongings, the spouse of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Can you guarantee that your daughter is not a thief?
Certainly, I can. My daughter isn’t a thief. On the very day they claimed the jewelry was taken, she wasn’t present as she had gone on a mission.
What is the age of your daughter and how is she related to the former president’s spouse?
She is 57 years old. Previously, my daughter worked for Mrs Jonathan until she got arrested on accusations that she was involved in stealing jewelry from the ex-first lady. However, I firmly believe that my daughter would not take someone else’s possessions.
Don’t you believe she has had any chance to speak for herself?
In court, she stated that she had no knowledge of the jewelry theft, yet her claims were disregarded. Like I mentioned earlier, my daughter could not have participated in something like this. On the day the incident occurred, she was attending a church crusade in Mgbidi.
What reasons do you believe led them to disregard what she had to say?
I don’t know.
How was she arrested?
Prior to her return from the church crusade, several arrests had already occurred. Upon coming back from the church event, she traveled to Bayelsa State. There, in 2019, she was detained and transferred to Port Harcourt.
Was legal representation provided for your daughter through hiring an attorney to appear in court following her arrest and prosecution?
Yes.
Do you believe the proceedings were managed correctly in the courtroom?
The handling of the case did not proceed as it ought to have. From the start, whenever they brought my daughter and the others before the court, proceedings would be postponed repeatedly without resolution. There were just a couple of instances where those involved got an opportunity to address the court directly. Following these rare occasions when my daughter and the rest had their say, the court then proceeded with testimonies presented by witnesses aligned with Madam Patience’s faction. Eventually, after all this, my daughter along with the group was returned once more to incarceration.
What has your experience been like since Deborah went to jail in 2019?
Several individuals attempted to persuade Madam Patience, but she refused to heed their pleas. My granddaughter, Deborah’s eldest child, passed away while Deborah was incarcerated. This absence significantly impacted our family dynamics. Life has proven challenging for us all. Additionally, I almost met my end due to my daughter’s prolonged detention. For this reason, I relocated to my son’s home, hoping he would look after me.
Is your daughter married?
She isn’t legally wed.
In what ways has this influenced your well-being, feelings, and everyday life?
Ever since she was taken away, I haven’t felt like myself. I’ve had to beg for meals. Illness led me to be brought to my son’s home in Rivers State.
Have you managed to go see her in jail?
No, my son took care of that task for me once. I myself have never set foot there. Ever since my daughter was incarcerated in 2019 following her arrest, things have been extremely tough for me. Occasionally, I purchase some provisions and deliver them to her, or at times I transfer funds instead. Ensuring she gets enough to eat hasn’t been simple.
What steps has your family taken to secure Deborah’s freedom?
My son visited the King of Okrika and talked about it with him. The king agreed to summon several chiefs, and along with my son, they planned to travel to Abuja for an audience with ex-President Jonathan. The king provided my son and his relatives with a specific date to visit, which they adhered to. However, after this meeting, the king stopped paying attention to their concerns. He instructed them to inform my sister to hand over anything under her control; however, my son and others argued that my daughter didn’t possess anything and wasn’t content being incarcerated. They claimed she wouldn’t want to remain locked up if she held anything valuable.
They informed the king that she was not guilty of the accusations made against her. Additionally, my son and several other family members advised the king that she had attended a church mission in Mgbidi and was unaware of the incident.
What could have prompted the king to alter his decision regarding talks with the ex-president, leading to the release of your daughter?
I’m unsure. So far, my son along with the others haven’t managed to get an audience with the king to discuss their request for my daughter’s release. When my son talked to the king’s assistant seeking guidance, the assistant asked for some time to consult the king regarding this issue.
Subsequently, an assistant of the king contacted my son and instructed him to provide the names of our family members, mentioning that the king would reach out to them for a meeting. My son complied with this request. However, until now, none of us have been contacted by the king. This remains the current state of affairs.
At what point did you encounter the king to seek assistance?
It was approximately two years back.
Have you contacted any human rights organizations or government officials regarding the ongoing detention of your daughter in prison?
No.
Is it because you lack the ability to contact them?
I am unable to handle this situation myself. My son encountered one of his younger siblings, who happens to be a legal professional. During their conversation, the sibling committed to reaching out to another attorney based in Bayelsa. This was intended to facilitate moving the case to Port Harcourt for potential appeals. However, the lawyer failed to follow through on this commitment, possibly due to being occupied with other responsibilities.
Is there additional proof to demonstrate that the accusation against your daughter was unfounded, aside from her statement that she undertook a mission on the date of the alleged event?
Every time my daughter planned to travel, she first sought approval from Mrs. Jonathan. Only after receiving this consent could she proceed with her journey. Occasionally, Mrs. Jonathan instructed her to leave the key with Mama F. Upon returning, she always went to Mama F to retrieve the key again. This routine was consistently followed.
I recall that occasionally Mrs. Jonathan would entrust some money to my daughter, yet she would never dare to use it. My daughter was so cautious about handling this money that she wouldn’t even leave it in her possession. Instead, she would promptly contact Mrs. Jonathan to inform her to come and retrieve her funds.
Mrs. Jonathan would subsequently ask someone else to collect the money from my daughter. If my child had been dishonest, she might have kept that money. However, my daughter has always refrained from taking her PIN. Therefore, I felt distressed when such an accusation was made against her.
Was Mama F one of those detained in 2019?
Number 1: No arrest took place. She is friends with Mrs. Jonathan (Madam).
Given what has transpired since the incident occurred, have you managed to contact ex-President Jonathan for his intervention in this issue?
In reality, this hasn’t been accomplished yet. We are unaware of the procedure required to contact him.
What scares you most if your daughter stays in prison for an extended period beyond what she has already endured?
I’m most afraid that if she remains incarcerated, it will cause me greater pain. This situation is also having an ongoing impact on all of us at home. When she first went to jail, her younger daughter was still very young. Just think about how much time has passed; the child has grown up and finished secondary school without her mother being present. They haven’t seen each other since she was removed from their lives.
What is the age of the daughter?
She is 16 years of age.
How many children does she have?
She has four kids, and she was the sole individual providing for them until her arrest.
What do you want to tell the government regarding this issue?
The authorities should assist the family in getting my daughter freed from jail. We genuinely require support.
What are your thoughts on the repeated postponements of the case since 2019?
In my view, Mrs. Patience Jonathan seems to be exerting her influence over them, which is why the courts aren’t functioning properly. Every time my daughter and the others attempt to attend court hearings, their cases get postponed.
Do you have anything else to add regarding this issue?
Her actions amount to an act of injustice. It is crucial for justice to prevail in this situation. The court is aware of what the appropriate course of action is, and thus, it ought to take the necessary steps.
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